TEHRAN (Iran News) – The 15th International Tourism and Related Industries Exhibition (TITE) and the 35th National Handicrafts Exhibition were inaugurated in Tehran yesterday by Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Mr. Ezatollah Zarqami in the presence of some activists in the fields of tourism and handicrafts as well as diplomats.
Addressing the opening ceremony Zarqamis said that during the past 42 years, tourism has been the Islamic Republic of Iran’s missing link and these considerable capacities of the country in this field have been neglected and all infrastructures should be provided and hurdles should be removed for boosting tourism industry and return of the pick-up to this field.
He then compared the local tourism exhibitions with Spain’s FITUR Exhibition and said Iranian experts and capacities are not less than FITUR of Spain. He hailed the advantages of Iranian tourisms and said Iran’s tourism is not confined only to cultural and eco-tourism and the country is not less than the top countries in the tourism industries but it needs the hurdles to be removed and this industry should be supported and it needs hurdles to be removed.
Zarghami said that B2B meetings are very effective in the tourism and the country should provide opportunity for direct contact with people from other countries and this will continue by the yearend.
He reiterated that the ministry will support activities of the households in the field of handicrafts and the ministry facilitates the ground for them to sell their products. He also urged the media to boost tourism and handicrafts industries and his ministry welcomes fair and constructive criticisms.
Meanwhile deputy minister on tourism Mr. Ali Asghar Shalibafan, briefed the participants in the gathering about the exhibition, and said due to the public vaccination and the drop in the number of deaths because of the COVID virus, the country expects return of the domestic and foreign tourists as it has started from November but admitted that the cos of travel has increased. He then said some workshops and special panel discussions are to be held on the sidelines of the exhibition.
He went on to say that several issues relating to the tourism will be top themes of this year’s exhibition, reiterating that all health protocols will be observed in the exhibition because the ministry is committed in protecting the public health.
Meanwhile head of tourism fraction of Majlis Mr. Dashti Ardekani, for his part, said maybe next year the country would witness pick-up in tourism after two years of recession in this industry due to the pandemic.
He reiterated that tourism is the only language of peace of Iranians with the world and it can be the language of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the world.
The three-day exhibition will run till February 1 and it will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 17 a.m.
